Unplug August

We are half way through the summer and the weather has been gorgeous here on the East Coast which allows you and your children to be outdoors most days and nights. Make sure you stay outside, experience nature, and enjoy as many whole- body sensory and motor activities as possible together.

Here are some suggestions for making the most out of the remainder of the summer with your children.

1. Play in the sand!

If you have access to a beach that’s great, but you can also take advantage of a sandbox or even a sand-pit. Bury your legs or arms. Make castles and forts with motes filled with water. Carrying the buckets of sand to provide “heavy work” along with the tactile play. Use your HANDS as much as possible for the tactile experience of the sand. Add tools for a change of pace and hoe, push, shove the sand. If your child cannot tolerate the sand, add water to change the texture.

2. Have fun with water balloons!

Fill balloons with water and throw them at targets (if you have older kids) or into containers. Use funnels and measuring cups to work on bilateral skills when filling up. Watch the water balloons explode. Make this into a math activity by adding up points or multiplying your “hits”. As you add more water to the balloons, you increase the “heavy work” your children participate in.

3. Pick wildflowers!

Pull off petals ( for fine motor precision) and turn them into potpourri.
Paint flowers with fingerpaint and make abstract pictures. Varying scents provides olfactory information to the nose. Talk about the differences in smells.

4. Play hopscotch and boxball!

Draw your own boards with different colored chalk. Vary the way you play
to challenge your motor skills. Hop more, jump sideways, jump backwards,
spin jump or clap while you jump. Sing songs while moving if possible.

So remember to get outside every day and get your senses activated in big and small ways while inviting friends and family to join in the fun!

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About Me

Robbie Levy, MA, OTR/L founded Dynamic Kids in 1998 and serves as its Executive Director. Prior to that, Ms. Levy was co-director of Building Blocks Therapy Associates for 13 years. Ms. Levy has her B.S. in Occupational Therapy from the University of Pennsylvania and her advanced Masters in O.T. from N.Y.U. with a specialty in Developmental Disabilities where she also taught.
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